Paleo Plantain Pancakes (makes 6 large or 8 small pancakes)

After spending a week in Costa Rica for Spring Break 2018, I remembered how much I loved plantains!  They were served for breakfast every morning at every hotel we stayed at.  I am quite confident that I ate more plantains that week then I had in my entire life thus far!  Although they look similar to bananas, they are actually more like a vegetable than a fruit, due to having a lower sugar and higher fiber content.  And unlike bananas, plantains are typically best cooked before eating rather than eaten raw.  They are a great source of potassium, magnesium, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin B6.  Each plantain contains about 5 grams of soluble fiber, which is about 20% of the recommended daily intake. Plantains make a wonderful gluten-free, grain-free substitute for flour in this pancake recipe. FYI - You must have a high speed blender (VitaMix, BlendTec, or Ninja) in order to sufficiently mix the plantains into a smooth batter. You can also make them ahead of time, refrigerate, and reheat later in the microwave if you want.

Ingredients:

  • 2 large yellowish (not green, but not brown) plantains (may substitute with 2 large green bananas)

  • 4 large organic free-range eggs

  • 2 tsp of natural vanilla extract

  • 1 Tbsp of organic coconut oil (plus 1-2 Tbsp more for frying pan or use coconut oil spray instead)

  • 1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon

  • 1/8 tsp of salt (pink Himalayan or sea salt)

  • 1/2 tsp of baking powder

  • 1/2 tsp of baking soda

  • optional additions - chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life dairy-free dark chocolate chips), blueberries, sliced bananas, sliced strawberries, 100% pure maple syrup, Kerrygold grass-fed butter.

Directions:

  • First, slice the plantains (or green bananas) into quarters width wise.

  • Next, pull of the peels and discard.

  • Place the peeled plantain chunks into the blender. Add the eggs, vanilla, 1 Tbsp of coconut oil, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and baking powder to the blender and mix well for about 1-2 minutes or until if forms a smooth batter. 

  • Spray the frying pan with coconut oil spray or heat 1 tsp of coconut oil in a large frying pan or on a griddle over a medium-high heat.

  • Pour some of the batter into the frying pan to form a pancake (about 1/4 cup, or to the size desired). Repeat this step to fill your pan (usually 2-3 pancakes will fit per batch). ***FYI - This is also when you would add a few chocolate chips to each pancake upon pouring into the pan to make chocolate chip pancakes.

  • Cook until the center of each pancake starts to bubble, then flip each pancake over and cook until lightly brown.

  • Feel free to add any additional toppings as listed above before serving.

  • ENJOY!